A real princess
by always.a.wildcat
Summary: Six-year-old Gabriella is afraid of storms.Oneshot. 'The low whimper that escaped from Gabriella’s lips was enough to wake Alexander Montez on the other bedroom in that hallway.“Calm down, baby girl. It’s me.”'


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything, besides the plot.**

**A**** real princess**

Six-year-old Gabriella Montez loved wear dresses – or, like in this case, a nightgown – and twirl around in her neatly decorated bedroom. The little girl didn't like to do that to exhibit or show herself. To the contrary: Gabriella was extremely shy, to the point that her soft cheeks would blush just by meeting someone new at her school or receiving a compliment and she absolutely could _not_ have people starring at her or she would hide herself behind her beloved mommy.

However, one thing that made Gabriella's brown eyes shine in a special way was read. There were so many tales and yet most of them would have at least a castle, a lost kingdom, a dragon, a prince charming and a princess. A princess with the most beautiful dresses, which descriptions always amazed the youngest Montez. And that get us to the beginning of this story. While wearing a dress, Gabriella felt like she was a real princess and, subsequently, the whole enchanted world that she so loved to read about came closer to her.

But, at that exact time, even as she was wearing a night-dress, Gabriella couldn't feel more vulnerable. She always had been afraid of thunderstorms and the one that was happening now was a big one. Curled on her bed, while squeezing her eyes shut as well as her fluffy friend against her chest, her midnight curled hair was dispersed on her pillow and her entire petite frame trembling - in part thanks to the fear and in part because she was crying. The tears would fell silent from her eyes and run down her rounded cheeks as she fought against the panic that invaded her every time that she was in a similar situation. She had to be strong as the led-females characters of the books that she read were until the end, when they would to be rescued by the love of their lives.

The low whimper that escaped from Gabriella's lips was enough to wake Alexander Montez on the other bedroom in that hallway. The oldest of the family used to be able to sleep long hours even if a party was being hosted inside of his house. But since Gabriella's born, he became so much alert at the mere sound that could indicate that his little girl was needing him, that the tiniest one would make him jump to his feet and rush down the hallway directly to his daughter's bedroom. And it was exactly what he did now.

As he opened the door, his heart was destroyed at the sight in front of his eyes. He started to walk towards the bed as silent as he could and seat beside the girl realizing that she still hadn't noticed his presence. Putting his hand delicately on Gabriella's back, he didn't thought that she would be so scared that she almost jumped at his touch.

"Calm down, baby girl. It's me." Alexander said in a soothing tone before his daughter threw herself on his open arms.

"Daddy!" She stated and clung to him even stronger, but her whimper didn't subsided.

"Shhh… baby. The storm will end soon. You'll see." The father kept reassuring his daughter while caressing her head with love.

"I-I'm sorry, daddy…" Gabriella pleaded after a few minutes as she raised her head enough to see Mr. Montez .

"For what?" Alexander couldn't find a reason as to why his daughter could be sorry for.

"For waking you up… for not being brave enough like I should have… like all that princess in my books…" Her confession had been made with shame, as thought she had just failed badly and the girl cast down her eyes unable to face the disappointment that, for her, would surely cross her father's features.

"Hey, hey…" Mr. Montez held Gabriella's face on his large hands forcing her to look in his eyes. "Baby, you don't have anything to be sorry for. Everyone has afraid of something. And there's no shame in that." He stopped to seat Gabriella on his lap as she listened to him with attention. "You know, when I was your age, I thought that there was a monster below my bed and I couldn't sleep because of that."

Gabriella giggled despite the tear marks that made their presence on her cheeks. "Daddy, you know that there aren't real monsters!"

"Exactly! But at that time I didn't knew it!" Alexander smiled more relaxed, knowing that he managed to make the panic that Gabriella was feeling go away. "Besides that, you don't need to worry in waking me up because I'm your daddy and I'm supposed to when you need me." He touched his daughter's cute little nose playfully after adding. "And you are even better than the princess of your books, because you're _my _princess.

"Really, daddy?" Gabriella asked with hope in her eyes, a blush spreading her cheeks.

"Really." He confirmed this kissing her tiny hand.

"So, if I'm a princess, than it makes you a king…" Gabriella stated as she bit her lower lip.

"You could say that." Her father confirmed with a beaming smile.

"But to be a _real _princess, I have to waltz with you, like we were in a bail." She said as a matter of fact.

"So, come on." Mr. Montez suddenly was on his feet in front of his daughter while offering a hand for her to take. "Can I have this dance?"

"I don't know how to waltz, daddy." She stated sadly. But her father pushed her to stand in front of him even so.

"I'll show you." He said completely aware that it was almost three in the morning and that the storm was already subsiding, but still knowing that he needed to distract his daughter.

"Here, take my hand." Gabriella did as she was told and then he indicated that she should put her little feet stood on his big ones.

They started to swirl around making the child giggle, not even seeming the same girl that was crying moments before.

~*~

When Alexander laid down on his bed after leaving Gabriella peaceful sleeping on her own, he soon felt his beautiful wife snuggle beside him.

"Is she ok?" Helena Montez asked about their daughter with drowsiness evident in her voice.

"Yup. She's now." He said wrapping an arm around her.

"I heard you two."

"Sorry if we woke you up."

"I don't mind." She said snuggling deeper on her husband's body.

After a few minutes, when the soft sound of the pouring rain outside was lulling them to sleep, Helena asked again."Babe?"

"Hum."

"I wonder what you will do when down on the road her _real_ prince charming meet her." She said leaving her husband startled.

"Well... I have to approve him first and…He definitely has to make her happy, otherwise I'll kill him. Nobody can hurt my princess." Alexander Montez said with determination without knowing that ten years after, when his daughter would meet for the first time the love of her life in a sky lodge in Colorado, life would've already had its way to make him unable to be beside his family.

**A/N.: ****This is my first fanfic, so help me improve by reviewing! And English is not my first language, so I'm sorry if there were any wrongs. Thank you.**


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